SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police have arrested a suspect in a shooting at North Star Mall earlier this week.
Edwardo Sanchez, Jr, 52, is charged with three counts of aggravated robbery.
Police said he is one of three people who were shoplifting in Macy’s on Halloween night and is suspected of being the one who shot a security guard in the leg after they were confronted.
Another man and woman ran away as security guards tried to detain them.
Sanchez struggled with the guards and then pulled out a handgun and shot one of them — a 29-year-old woman — in the leg, according to police.
Sanchez’s arrest warrant affidavit states that he ran to the parking lot, got in a car and took off his coat and mask, but then came back to the store and started looking through some of the clothes he dropped during the struggle. He was likely looking for his car keys because a security guard found a set of keys on the ground where the struggle took place.
A witness, who was armed, confronted Sanchez and Sanchez ran away from the scene without the keys, the affidavit states.
Police located a car in the parking lot with the jacket Sanchez was wearing during the robbery in view as well as a magazine for a semi-automatic handgun.
Investigators said they identified Sanchez as the shooter and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Police said in a Facebook post that Sanchez confessed to the crime after he was taken into custody early Friday morning.
Court records show Sanchez has a criminal history that dates back to 1988. At the time of the North Star Mall incident, he was out on bond on three charges stemming from an arrest on Oct. 18 that include driving while intoxicated and drug possession.
The Halloween night shooting was the third incident involving gunfire on the mall’s property within less than six months.
In June, someone shot and killed Adam Glass, 33, as he sat in a barbershop inside the mall.
A little more than a month later, police said two people running away after committing a robbery shot out a glass door to make their escape.
Lindsay Kahn, a spokeswoman for North Star’s parent company, Brookfield Properties, referred to all three incidents as “isolated” and sent the following statement:
“We are sad this incident, which was directly related to a retail theft apprehension, occurred at our property. Unfortunately, we are not immune to the increase in property crime that has been occurring in the community. We will continue to evaluate our security protocols to maintain North Star as a safe and beloved place for the community. Since this incident occurred in Macy’s, we will have to direct you to Macy’s and San Antonio Police Department for further information.”
When asked whether there are any plans for beefing up security at the mall, such as adding metal detectors, Kahn said during a phone interview that the company already has a robust security program in partnership with SAPD. However, she did add that the company is always reviewing and evaluating security.